


Slow dancing and surprises

by Dawninlatin



Series: Manorian Teacher AU [8]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Not much angst tho..., Pregnant Manon, Teacher AU, i might have cried a little while writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:59:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawninlatin/pseuds/Dawninlatin
Summary: Part 8 of the Teacher AUManon and Dorian gets a life-changing surprise, and must decide what to do.Set a few weeks before «Online classes are the worst»
Relationships: Manon Blackbeak/Dorian Havilliard
Series: Manorian Teacher AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736908
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	Slow dancing and surprises

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was requested by Anonymous (and several others): "Hey, any chance you could write a scene where Manon realizes she’s pregnant / tells Dorian she’s pregnant?"
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm really loving this AU more and more for every chapter I write!
> 
> Also, the song referenced in this fic is Lover, You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley <3

«Mr. Havilliard? Can I have a word with you?»

As the classroom door opened to reveal twenty pairs of prying eyes, Manon schooled her features into bored impatience, the look conveying that she was merely here to deliver an important, work-related message.

Dorian was standing with his back to her, facing the chalkboard, and when he turned around, Manon had to remind herself that one; she was at work, she couldn’t just run over and kiss him, and two; they had an audience, who didn’t know they were in a relationship.

He was wearing his glasses today, which made him look ten times sexier than usual, and his hair was slightly disheveled, a certain sign that he was currently talking about something intriguing. That, and the way his blue eyes glowed

How had she fallen in love with such a _dork_?

«Of course, Ms. Blackbeak,» Dorian answered, giving her a smirk. Manon only stared, her thoughts thankfully interrupted.

« _Someone’s in trouble?» s_ aid a sing-song voice from the back of the classroom. Identifying the offender, she locked eyes with him and gave him a deadly look. He quickly averted his eyes, his face turning bright red, and Manon allowed herself a satisfied smirk.

Dorian headed for the door, but turned around and said to the room, «You can start reading on page 207 meanwhile.» 

Stepping aside to let him through, Manon waited for the soft _click_ indicating that they were now alone, and when she heard it, she let her mask fall, giving her boyfriend a warm look.

«I’ll never get used to you calling me Mr. Havilliard,» Dorian said, shaking his head.

«And why would it be unnatural for me to call you Mr. Havilliard? Our relationship is strictly professional, after all,» Manon teased, a smile playing on her lips.

Dorian grinned, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips. «Would a colleague do this?» he whispered against her mouth.

«Most definitely,» Manon deadpanned. «Me and Lorcan really got it on in the storage room the other day.»

At the mention of the grumpy maths teacher, Dorian leaned his head back and howled. Manon and Lorcan’s mutual dislike of each other was no secret to anyone, honestly. Unfortunately for them, their respective subjects crossed paths more often than not.

«Can you be a bit quiet,» Manon hissed to Dorian when he kept laughing. «These walls aren’t exactly sound proof and I can’t have any kids thinking I have a sense of humor.»

«Right,» he whispered, pressing another kiss to her lips, his eyes crinkling in amusement. 

Manon had nearly forgotten why she came here in the first place, but remembering they were in fact in public, she pressed her palms against his chest and pushed him away, saying, «I need your keys. I forgot mine this morning, and I’m heading home for the day.»

Dorian’s playful smirk was suddenly replaced by concern, and he took a step back so he could scan her from head to toe. A frown appeared on his face as he now noticed how pale she was, how she had dark circles under her eyes, which were a dull brown-ish colour instead of their usual molten gold.

«Are you okay?» He brought a hand to her forehead to check for a fever, but Manon swatted it away.

«I’ll be fine, you mother hen!» She just had to get home and take a nap before her headache killed her, or before she got so nauseous she puked all over her classroom.

Manon had been sick on and off for the past three weeks now, and she was officially _over it._ Too bad her body didn’t feel the same way. Today had been her first day back at work in a full week, but apparently she needed a day or two more on the couch, being bored out of her mind…

«Do you need me to drive you home?» Dorian still searched her with that concerning gaze, and Manon rolled her eyes at how warm it made her feel inside. _Stupid feelings._

She tried shaking her head, but had to stop immediately as it sent a wave of throbbing pain through her head. «No, you have a class waiting for you. I can drive myself,» she said, adding, «Unless you need the car, of course.» Even her voice sounded weak.

Dorian looked ready to protest, but instead of saying anything, he merely tightened his lips. 

«It’s fine, I can take the bus today. My keys are in my office,» he said at last, leading her down the hallway.

-

As they reached the teacher’s lounge, on their way to Dorian’s office, they discovered the room to be nearly empty, with the exception their _favorite_ colleague, Yrene Towers. She was sitting at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee, and when she spotted the pair, her gaze quickly moved to their entangled hands, a satisfied smile spreading on her face.

«It’s been four years, Yrene, you surely must be getting used to seeing us together,» Manon said bluntly, but Yrene shook her head, letting out a happy sigh.

«Never,» the woman claimed. «You two are the most _adorable_ couple ever, and it’s all thanks to me.» It was kind of charming, Dorian thought, to see her so invested in them.

And it was true, what she said. Had Yrene never decided to meddle in their private lives and send them on a work trip together, Dorian didn’t know where him and Manon would be today. Merely thinking of them _not_ being together felt so wrong it physically pained him.

«To be honest, it was necessary to achieve a safe work environment,» Yrene said, Dorian raising an eyebrow in question. «Had I intervened even just a week later, the heavy sexual tension between you two would have suffocated us all.» 

Manon snorted beside him, Yrene looking as smug as ever. Had it been anyone else, his girlfriend would have killed them on the spot.

«And for that we will be forever grateful,» Dorian said, placing a hand over his heart in mock gratitude.

Yrene brushed it off, saying, «You can thank me by making me the godmother of one of those inhumanly beautiful babies you’ll make.» Manon stiffened beside him, and both Yrene and Dorian shifted their attention to her. She looked even paler now than she had before.

«Are you okay?» Yrene asked. «You look a little…peaky.»

«Yeah,» Manon said, trying, but failing, to give them a reassuring smile. «I’m sure a nap and some food will make it better. Actually, I’m heading home right now.»

«Ah, I won’t halt you any longer then,» Yrene announced, getting up from her table. «Get well soon, Manon!» She gave Manon’s shoulder a squeeze as she passed them on her way out.

«I’ll go get those keys,» Dorian told his girlfriend, hurrying into his office.

When he came back out, keys in hand, Manon was standing the exact same way as he’d left her, staring into nothing. She didn’t register that he was back until he was standing in front of her. 

«Here you go,» he said, handing her the set of keys. She gave him a small smile in return, but it didn’t meet her eyes. Instead, they had a distant look in them.

«Thanks,» she muttered so low he nearly didn’t hear it. 

Dorian couldn’t shake off his worrying. It was unsettling to see his girlfriend so… _weak._ And for her to even admit she was sick…it had to be really bad.

Unable to stop himself, he asked once more, «Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?»

«You stay, I just need to sleep it off,» she tried to convince him, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. «See you in a few hours.»

And with that she was gone, Dorian left with a sinking feeling in his gut.

_Something was wrong._

_-_

Manon lay on the couch, wrapped in a heavy blanket, an old episode of «Bill Nye, the Science Guy» playing on the TV. Except Manon wasn’t paying attention to the TV at all. No, all she could focus on was the brown paper bag laying on the kitchen table, it’s presence all-consuming.

_She would take it in the morning,_ she had tried to convince herself. The results would be more accurate then, and she wasn’t sure she could do it without Dorian. 

_It’s only to rule it out, so you won’t have to worry,_ Manon thought, not believing it one bit.

And if she never took the test, it technically couldn’t be positive, right?

The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind until Yrene’s words earlier. But as soon as she’d said them, some part of Manon had known. It would certainly explain why she’d been feeling so queasy lately.

While driving home, her mind had been fighting a battle of _what if’s_ and _why not’s_ , the _what if_ winning in the end, as she’d suddenly found herself outside the pharmacy, bag in hand.

If she truly was…

Gods, she couldn’t even think the word.  
  
Her and Dorian had always been so careful…

And if it turned out to be positive…what would they do?  


Manon couldn’t take more of the churning thoughts or the uncertainty.

Sighing in defeat, she dragged her fatigued body off the couch an headed for the bathroom, taking the paper bag with her.

-

Dorian opened the front door to find the house eerily quiet. He stepped into the living room, which was empty, but the TV was on, so Manon couldn’t be far away. _She was probably just sleeping_ , Dorian told himself, but something felt off…

«Manon?» he called as he stepped into the kitchen, putting away the groceries he’d gotten on his way home.

No one answered.

Dorian could feel panic spread through his body, but he tried to stay calm, to stay rational. She was probably upstairs, sleeping, as she should be.

Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was _very_ wrong. 

What if she’d gotten worse? Or passed out somewhere?

His pulse started racing as he practically sprinted up the stairs, towards their bedroom. 

«Manon?!» he called once more, but he was yet again met with silence.

Pushing the door open, his heart skipped a beat as he discovered the bed to be empty, as tidy as they had left it that morning. Dorian could feel all the blood drain from his face, picturing a hundred scenarios in his head, all of them equally terrifying.

Then he heard a noise coming from his right. He turned around and saw Abraxos lying in front of the closed bathroom door, guarding it. The cat meowed a second time, rushing over to him, trying to get his attention. 

Dorian scanned the door, letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed the sliver of light coming from beneath it. 

«Manon? Are you in there?» he asked softly, leaning against the door. When she still didn’t answer, he twisted the doorknob, thankfully finding it unlocked.

He held his breath as he stepped into the bathroom, afraid of what would meet him.

But Manon wasn’t passed out, she was sitting on the floor, in front of the bathtub, staring intensely at something in her lap. 

Dorian sat down in front of her, trying to meet her eyes, but it didn’t seem like she even knew he was there.

«What’s wrong?» he asked her, frowning in confusion. Dread pooled in his stomach.

Manon kept focusing her eyes on her lap as she silently handed him the thing she was holding, his heart skipping another beat as he learned it was a plastic stick.

With shaking hands, Dorian turned it around and was met with two, bright pink lines staring up at him. He couldn’t make out a single clear thought, too many running through his head at the same time.

When he finally managed to look up from the positive pregnancy test, Manon was looking at him with that same intense gaze. It hurt to see his girlfriend like this, so lost and afraid and vulnerable.

«Is it- Are you- You’re sure that it’s positive?» was all he could choke out. 

Her throat bobbed. 

Once.

Twice.

Manon didn’t answer, just sat there, trembling. He was sure she’d gone into shock.

After a while, she said with a quiet voice, her words devoid of any emotion, «It looks positive to me. And the other two I took says the same.» She nodded towards the sink behind him.

Dorian twisted to pick up the other tests, which also clearly said **pregnant.**

«How far along?» he asked, not knowing what else to say.

She shrugged. «Less than twelve, more than six.»

_«Shit.»_

«Yeah, _shit.»_

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, all the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air between them.

Manon broke the silence by drawing a shuddering breath, whispering, «What are we gonna do, Dorian?»

It was the quiet despair in her voice that made him scoot over to her side and gather her up in his arms. She clutched his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

«I don’t know, love.» 

He pressed a kiss to her hair.

«I don’t know.»

Then she threw herself out of his arms, hurling the contents of her stomach into the nearby toilet.

**** **_-1 week later -_ ** ****

Manon glanced at the alarm clock once more, silently groaning at what she saw. It was currently 3am, and she was wide awake, unable to stop the thoughts churning in her mind.

Deciding she couldn’t keep tossing and turning like this, she quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping boyfriend.

She padded across the floor and down the stairs, stepping over a sleeping Abraxos, and made her way to the kitchen. The soft lights turned on, and Manon stepped over to the sink, beginning on the mountain of dirty dishes. She might as well do something useful if she was going to stay awake all night.

And it helped keeping the thoughts away. That, and the small radio she turned on, keeping the volume low.

A week had passed, and she was still knocked up, still hadn’t made a decision. 

Manon had always said she didn’t want kids, but thinking about how there was a tiny, human being growing inside her…

A tiny, human being that she had created with Dorian…It made her reconsider it all. Made her doubt all she’d thought she knew.

Would they look like him? Be like him? Would she be able to love them as much as she loved this man?

Manon had never been good at analyzing her emotions, her mind too rational for it’s own good. They were old enough and in a long-term relationship. They both had a stable income, and more than enough room in their house. But was this something she _wanted?_

Tomorrow. 

She would debate it tomorrow, Manon promised herself, instead getting lost in the task of doing _all_ the dishes.

In fact, she got so caught up that she didn’t notice Dorian approaching until he stepped behind her, banding his arms around her waist. 

«Couldn’t sleep?» he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Manon shook her head, furiously scrubbing a pan. «I’m sorry I woke you,» she whispered.

«You didn’t,» he whispered back, taking the pan from her hands and placing it back in the sink. «Care to explain why you’re doing the dishes in the middle of the night?»

«It’s the only way I can stop thinking so much,» she said quietly, leaning back against his wide frame.

«Do you want to talk about it?»

At first, she didn’t say anything. 

But then a single thought appeared in her mind.

A truth she had realized days ago, without truly knowing it.

«I think I want to keep it,» she voiced, her words barely audible, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

And as she said those words out loud, she knew. 

Knew that she wanted this. 

Even if it terrified her.

She knew that Dorian wanted it too, although he hadn’t said it directly. But he would make an excellent father, and she wanted to share this with him. This precious thing they had created together.

Dorian stiffened behind her, and Manon twisted in his arms to find him looking at her with awe, something like hope shining in his eyes. «Are- Are you sure?»

He brought a thumb to her cheek, wiping away the tear. It was the first time she cried in front of him, in front of anyone, and it felt good, to be able to be so vulnerable with someone.

«Yes,» she breathed.

«I’m going to be a father?» he asked, voice full of disbelief.

«Yes, you’re going to be a father» Manon laughed as more tears fell. «We’re having a baby!»

Dorian was crying now, too, pulling her into a tight embrace. «I love you so much, Manon Blackbeak,» he whispered in her ear.

They stood like that for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of being close.

«Do you hear that?» Dorian said all of a sudden. He let go of her to turn up the volume on the radio still playing music. Manon smiled softly at the familiar tune.

«This is our song,» Dorian said, grinning.

Manon cringed. «We don’t have a song.»

«Oh yes, we do. Don’t you remember dancing to this on our first date?»

Of course Manon remembered. She would never forget that night.

«That doesn’t make it _our_ song. And it’s just so…cliché.» 

«Love is a cliché, Manon.»

She rolled her eyes, but a playful smile graced her lips. «How did I end up with such a hopeless romantic?»

«I’ll show you romantic,» Dorian said, his blue eyes twinkling. «Come here.»

He held out his hand, and said in a hushed voice, «Dance with me.»

«You know I can’t dance,» she whispered.

«We’ll go slow,» Dorian promised her.

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. Dorian placed a hand on her back, and slowly began swaying to the music.

Manon closed her eyes, relishing the moment.

And as Dorian began to softly sing along, his voice low and raspy, Manon decided that _this,_ right here, in his arms, was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

**Broken down and hungry for your love** ****

**With no way to feed it** ****

Had someone told her this all those years ago, that she would one day be standing here, with _Dorian Havilliard_ of all people, in their home, expecting his child, she would laugh herself hoarse.

But she wished.

Wished that past Manon had known how much she needed a family. ****

**So I'll wait for you, and I'll burn**

**Will I ever see your sweet return**

**Oh, will I ever learn?**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> And thank you to everyone who comments/reblogs! It means the world to me<3


End file.
